DC Baltimore All Ages

Thursday, October 23, 2014

In a time when we are seeing more and more DIY spaces, and smaller venues close, Charm City Art Space keeps going. It's really important to Baltimore's music scene that they continue providing performance space for bands to play in, and people to see them.
For those who are unfamiliar, CCAS is an all ages, DIY venue that has operated in Baltimore for the last 12 years. They are drug free, alcohol free, and volunteer run. Making money was never the goal - just to keep it going for as long as possible.
Well, things are tight, and CCAS has their winter heating bill that is looming. So they started a GoFundMe campaign to try and bridge the financial gap they are staring at. The good news is that they have already made their goal. Other good news is that the donations came from all over the country, showing the impact that they and other DIY spaces have on local scenes and musicians. However, let's throw some more money at them to keep them going for as long as possible.

Friday, October 3, 2014

So, I once again got the opportunity to shoot the Gaslight Anthem as they opened up the tour for their new album "Get Hurt" here in Washington, DC. This is a band that has never failed to put on a great show whenever I see them.I got to the show a bit later than I had hoped, because of parental duties (I have a kid, and she's rad). I got to the 9:30 too late to photograph Against Me!, but I was able to see most of their set. If you're wondering why I could see them but not photograph them - well, when bands get to a certain size (or on a a major label) there is usually a restriction on photographing the band. 1 - you need a photo pass and 2 - you only get to shoot the 1st three songs. In any case, I did get to at least see them and they were fantastic. I have to say Atom Willard's work on the drums, in particular, was pretty fun to watch. After the show, I ended up meetingLaura Jane Grace , who was really very nice. Which prompted me to do something I never do, ask her to autograph the copy of their most recent record "Transgender Dysphoria Blues" that I had just picked up at the show. It is difficult for anyone who is dealing with transgender issues, and I've known a couple of people who went through it. However, it's another level when you are a public figure/performer, and the whole world watched you do it. Especially in an industry that can be a bit "bro" heavy at times. I really admire Laura Jane's courage.Gaslight hit the stage with "Stay Vicious" from the new album, and killed it with a solid set that spanned their whole catalog. They sounded very good, especially for a band that was playing first show of the tour. It's always fun to see what or who Benny has on his kick drum as well. Last time it was the manager from "Major League" - this time it was a 70's era Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (though possibly "Airplane!" era).
Anyway, they ended their set (well, encore) with a fantastic rendition of "Baba O'Riley" by The Who. The last song was a small tribute to a friend who was having a really tough day - which was pretty sweet.
The only bummer to the whole night was one particular couple, who were just about everything I hate in humanity. Totally self involved, drunk and drugged up beyond any reason - you know, the kind that makes you worry about humanity. The woman was trying to do whatever she could to get at Alex and had to be backed up from the stage by security. I saw her trying to talk her way backstage after the show, and security was having none of it. The guy was popping pills in front of me and washing it down with a mixed drink of some sort. Then he spilled his drink on me and another guy - apologized, and then offered to share his drink (No thanks. I'm good) - and that went on for a while. Not enough to ruin the show for me, but annoying.

Friday, September 26, 2014

UPDATE: There has been a Go Fund Me site set up to help with the costs associated with Tom's funeral, and related expenses. Go here to Donate.

UPDATE #2: A man has been formally charged with Tom's murder, and the assault of the other Ottobar employee. Read the article here.

UPDATE #3: There has been a donation system set up through Mission Tix which you can access here. Also, there will be a Tom Malenski Family Fundraiser at the Ottobar on October 11th. Proceeds from the show will go to help out Tom's family directly. They have set up a Facebook event page here & it is listed on their homepage.

Just a quick note with a heartbreaking bit of bad news. Tom Malenski, a beloved staffer of The Ottobar in Baltimore was stabbed last night after helping remove an unruly patron from the bar after the GBH show.
Tom was not working last night, but was there as a fan of GBH. He later helped break up a fight in the bar after the show. After helping another employee remove the patron from the venue, another man, presumably a friend of the man being removed, attacked Tom and the other Ottobar employee (who has not been identified). Both victims were taken to a local hospital where Tom was pronounced dead - he was 35. The other victim was treated and released.
Mike Bowen of the Ottobar said that the police have been very helpful, and that the Baltimore Homicide department has asked that anyone with information or tips call 410-396-2100.
I did not know Tom, but several friends did, and they, like the entire Ottobar family, are devastated. By all accounts he was a really great guy, and long standing member and fan of the Baltimore music scene.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to his friends, family, The Ottobar family and all those who are hurting from from this. R.I.P.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

OFF! played Rock & Roll Hotel this past Thursday night, and as usual, the performance was blistering. OFF!’s drummer, Mario Rubalcaba, had scheduling conflicts for this leg of their 2014 touring, so they turned to Dale Crover of none other than the freakin' Melvins to fill in. I can’t say that I noticed much of a difference, as blistering is… well... blistering. Unfortunately, I missed openers Gay Kiss and Bad Antics, as I was running a bit late, and the club was running on time. Some homework: buy their recently released 2nd (or 3rd, depending on how you count things) studio full-length, Wasted Years, and go see them next time they come around. See some pictures and a video clip at the following links...

Friday, June 27, 2014

UPDATE #2- Fort Reno is back on for the summer! Shows start on July 7th. Amanda had a meeting this morning with The National Park Service, which includes the Park Police, and they came to an understanding about requirements, costs, provisions, and what is needed going forward for both sides so that this concert series is allowed to continue in the future. See what happens when adults sit down and talk like...adults?

see you on the field!

Hey all-

Just a quick "Call to Arms" today. As many of you who follow the DC music scene have probably already heard, for the first time since its inception in 1968, the Fort Reno Summer Concert Series is not going to happen. For a full explanation as to why, you can read Amanda's letter over at fortreno.com .

The crux of the matter is that the National Park Service and the United States Park Police are insisting the organizers of the summer concert series (Amanda, Casey and their all volunteer group) pay to have a police officer at every concert that is scheduled. Something that would have to be paid for, in advance, which means no refund for a rain-out. This would double the cost against an already small budget. That said, it's not about the money - it's about the fact that the NPS and USPP are pushing the need for an officer and are withholding the permit until it is paid for. All this despite the fact that it has never been required before, and no one from either the NPS or USPP can provide a reason as to "why now?" The concert series has always been policed, successfully by all the volunteers and by the concert-goers (myself included), as well. In my 20+ years of going, the worst offenses I have ever seen are some kids smoking weed or lighting off firecrackers. Which, it's worth mentioning, always happened on the upper part of the field, which is NOT under the jurisdiction of the NPS and USPP, but under DC parks and recreation. So, it doesn't fall under the purview of the permit. It's also worth noting, that in the past, when it was known that a band would draw a big crowd (Fugazi, Dismemberment Plan, Bob Mould, Q and Not U, etc.), then the organizers WOULD arrange for an officer to be there. That just makes good sense.

On a personal note, I grew up going to the Fort Reno concert series, and it was where I first started taking photos of bands. I now take my daughter, and it's one of the things she looks forward to most every summer. I finally had a chance to perform there last summer with my band, The Mauls, and it was (corny as it may sound) a bit of a dream come true. To have performed on the same stage that so many bands I loved also did is very big check off my bucket list.

So, what can you do? Well, a few things - One you can sign the petition started on Change.org here. You can also call the numbers on the list provided by Dischord and make it known you want this series to keep happening as it has for the previous 45 years.

Fort Reno is a fantastic tradition, and one that is really unique and special to DC. I can't tell you how many out-of-town bands tell me how cool a thing it is, and how many local bands love playing there. Let's make sure it keeps going.

UPDATE: WAMU 88.5's Bandwith is reporting that Amanda will be meeting with several folks, including representatives of The NPS and USPP on Monday. Let's hope this is a step in the right direction. Read the article here.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Hey all. Super quick post today, in what has evidently become the J Robbins show.

This is from a show back in October at the Metro Gallery in Baltimore where J played one of his solo shows. He was accompanied, as usual, by the man of many talents Brooks Harlan. Besides being a multi instrumentalist, Brooks runs a fantastic guitar and amp repair shop - with his partner in crime Shawna Potter - in Baltimore called Big Crunch. I highly recommend them, and I have sent and will continue to send all of my gear to them.

Anyway, J and Brooks performed a really nice set covering much of J's catalog including Jawbox, Channels and Office of Future Plans. J played acoustic guitar and sang while Brooks supported him with backing vocals, keyboards and baritone guitar. You never know how acoustic versions of songs will sound, especially when you are so familiar with the much louder, full-band versions. J did a really nice job of not overworking the arrangements and seemed to take more of stripped-down approach to the songs, just letting them stand on their own. Having seen J perform this way a few times now, I can say that I would love to hear a few of these put to tape and released as an acoustic J record. "The Office of Jawbox Channels - brought to you by Burning Airlines" record, perhaps? Well, one can hope.

UPDATE: Right after I posted this, J informed me he was about to post an acoustic EP called "Abandoned Mansions" on band camp. It's really good and has both Brooks Harlan and Gordon Withers supporting him. You can find it here. A bargain at $5.

Here are the pics. Oh, and I managed to get some decent videos of 3 of the songs. I've put those at the bottom of the post.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

A little while back, I finally got a chance to see Titus Andronicus. I have been a fan for a number of years - but missed several earlier chances to see them. So, I jumped when the opportunity presented itself this time. And the Black Cat is a perfect venue for them.

I won't go on too much about them, as there is plenty that has been written, and with more skill than I have to offer. But I will say that they were really good. Like wow good. The energy was amazing, and they blazed through their set, making it feel a lot shorter than the hour plus that it was, hitting songs from all the previous albums and some new material as well. Frontman Patrick Stickles is a force of nature. I was floored with his ability to play guitar while singing some of the densest lyrics out there. THEN he notices that his guitar is slightly out of tune, and he tunes it without stopping. I'm pretty sure he's operating on another level. If you get a chance, check out his interview on WTF with Marc Maron, which you can get free on iTunes for now.

My only complaint about the show at all was a certain number of folks in the crowd. Before Titus started, Patrick made a mini speech asking people to treat each other with respect and not mow anyone over. He even quoted (and credited) Ian MacKaye from his Fugazi days, saying "We are not a soundtrack for violence." Well, some folks didn't listen, and I fended off more than a few meat heads from bowling me and others over. I got pretty tired of it, and I eventually moved back so I could enjoy the rest of the set with out catching an elbow.

The only other curve ball for me was that I tried to shoot with a new camera with mixed results. The camera is great, and I think it could work for certain bands, but not something as high energy as Titus. But that's why I tried it out, and now I know.